Drifting valve for locomotives



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,083

' J. H. HANLON ET AL DRIFTING VALVE FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Aug. 15. 1921s Sheets-Sheet 1 12 INVEN1'UYS iv n; M W/Mq KIM/L 2 I VQ f Feb. 7, 1928.

J. H. HANLON ET AL DRIFTING VALVE FOR LOCOMOTIVES s Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledAug. 13. 1921 Aw hays; h fi g v YMMMM M Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,083

. J. H. HANLQN ET AL DRIFTING VALVE FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed Aug. 13. 19213 Sheets-Sheet S if? J 4/ ;?6

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Patented Feb. 7, 1928. 1' .v i' 1 "idillTED' STATES PATENT OFFI CE.

JOHN H. HANLON, OF SOMEBVILLE, AND WILLIAM J. I-IANLON, OF FITCHBURG,

. MASSACHUSETTS.

I DBIFTING- VALVE IFOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed August 13, 1921. Serial No. 491,913.

This invention relates to drifting valves Fig. 9 is an enlarged detailview of the for use on steam locomotives and by which dog foroperatively connecting the drifting wetor saturated steam is furnishedto the valve with its operating means. working cylinders of thelocomotive during Fig. 10 is a detail section on the line 5 the timewhen the latter is in motion but is ltl lO, Fig. 9. 60 not beingsupplied with steam through the Fig. 11 is a horizontal section on theline dry pipe. 11-11, Fig. '8.

The invention has for its object to provide Fig. 12 is av section on theline 12-12, an improved drifting valve which is auto- Fig. 1. Y

v matically controlled by the pressure condi- Referring to Figure 1,there is shown 65 tions in the valve chest and exhaust pastherein alocomotive having a boiler 10, sages of the engine to supply steam tothe working cylinders 11 (of which one only engine cylinders at theproper times and is shown) provided with the usual valve to out off thesupply when not required; chests 12 supplied with steam through thewhich operates to supply steam directly to usual common dry pipe (notshown) under 7 the cylinders, as distinguished from the the control ofthe throttle' At 13 is diavalre chest as in prior constructions,theregrammatically illustrated the usual air by permitting the device toact with equal brake pump supplied with saturated steam efficiencyirrespective of the cut-off positions by a pipe 1 1 hav' ig a branch 15leading to into which the engine valves have been set, the driftingvalve mechanism, designated 7 at the same time preventing leakagebetween as a whole in Figure 1 by the letter A. It

' the ends of the cylinders under normal will thus be seen that thedrifting valve is working; which is not opened when the 1000- suppliedwith steam from the same source motive is operated under light loads, asin as thatwhich supplies the air brake pump.

moving the same about the yard; and which By this arrangement twoimportant advanis otherwise of such a character as eifectutages aresecured. In the first place, the oil ally and reliably to prevent theadmission supplied by the usual lubricator to the air of steam to theengine cylinders at imbrake pump is also fed to the drifting propertimes. valve and thence to the engine cylinders;

# The foregoing and other objects of the in the second place, the usualvalve for con invention, together with means whereby the trollingadmission of steam to the air brake same may be carried into effect,will best pump will also control the supply of steam be understood fromthe following descripto the drifting valve, so that the latter will tionof one form or embodiment thereof not be operative unless the air brakesysillustrated in the accompanying drawings, tem is working, which ishighly desirable.

in which Referring now to Figures 2 to 7 the Fig. l is a somewhatdiagrammatic side drifting valve mechanism comprises a main elevation ofa portion of a locomotive havframe or body 17 having at its top a valveing the invention applied thereto. seat 18 (Figures 5 and 6) and towhich is 40 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the drifting bolted orotherwise detachably secured a valve mechanism. casing portion 19. Thebody portion or Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof, loohframe 17 iscoredout to form a vertical ing from the left in Figure 2. cylinder 20 and achamber 42, and has bolt- Fig. 4 is a plan view of the parts shown ed orotherwise secured thereto a supple- 45 in Figures 2 and 3. mental frameportion 23 formed at its ends Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail sectionswith horizontal cylinder'portions 21 and 22. on the lines 5-5 and 66respectively of The supply pipe 15 communicates with the Figure 4. topof the valve casing 19. The cylinder Fig. 7 is a section, takensubstantially on 20 communicates at its lower end, through 50 the line7-7 of Figure 2, of the cylinder a pipe 24, with the supply or pressureportion of the body of the drifting valve space 12 (Figs. 1 and 12) ofthe steam mechanism. chest 12, and at a point above its lower Fig. 8 isa vertical section, taken on the end, through a pipe 25, with the outerend same plane as Fig. 5, of substantially the of the cylinder 21. Theouter end of the complete apparatus. cylinder 22 is in communication,through a pipe 26, with one of the exhaust passages or chambers of theengine, preferably with the exhaust space 12 of the steam chest 12.

The valve seat 18 is formed with a series of ports, '27, 28, 28, 29 and29, all of which are opened or closed simultaneously by a slide valve30. The port 27 communicates, through a pipe 31, with the pressure space12 of the valve chest 12. The ports 28 and 29 communicate, through pipes32 and 33 respectively, with the opposite ends of one of the workingcylinders 11. The ports 28 and 29 communicate similarly, through pipes32 and 33,-with theopposite ends of the working cylinder (not shown) atthe other side of the locomotive. It Will be seen that, when the valve30 is moved to uncover the ports in the valve seat 18, steam supplied tothe casing 19 through the pipe- 15 will be admitted to both ends of thecylinders, while the interior of said casing 19 will also be incomn'mnication with the pressure space of the valve chest. Since it iscustomary in the usual operation of a locomotive to exhaust one end ofone cylinder only at a time, it will. be seen that only one of the portsin the seat 18 will at any time be open to the exhaust, and, as the areaof each port is relatively small in proportion to the cross-sectionalarea of the pipe 15 and the combined area of all of the ports, theeffect-of such communication with the exhaust will be relatively small,so that a certain pressure will be maintained within the casing 19 atall times. hen the valve 30 is in a position to cover the ports, as isthe case in normal running, communication between the opposite ends ofthe several engine cylinders will be prevented.

The valve 30 is operated by means of an arm or fork 34 with which it isloosely engaged, said arm or fork being fast upon a shaft 35 journalledin suitable bearings in the casing 19. Outside the casing 19 the shaft35 has fast thereon an arm 36 which is received in a slot 37 in a bentarm 38 fast on a piston rod 39 guided in the frame portion 23 andconnected with a piston 40 in the cylinder 21.

Journalled in the frame or body 17 is a transverse sh aft 41'having fastthereon with in the chamber 42 an arm 43 (Figs. 2 and 8') which engagesthe slotted upper end of an elongated piston 44 in the cylinder 20. Fastupon the opposite ends of the shaft 41 are arms 45 and 46 respectively,the latter carrying an adjustable weight 47 and being limited in itsupward and downward. movements respectively by stops 48 and 49prbjecting from the frame or body 17 Loosely mounted on the pistonrod'39, so as to rock thereon, but held against movement longitudinallyof said rod between the hub of the arm 38 and a fast collar 50. is a dog51 (shown in detail in Figs. 9 and 10) having a weighted upper endextending through an opening 52 in the frame portion 23 and tendingnormally to hold 'said'dog in the angular position shown in full linesin Figure 3. The dog 51 has a lower'cnd 53 which, when said dog; is inthe angular position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, lies in the pathof movement of the arm 45 on the shaft 41. The end 53 of the dog 51 isprovided with a shoulder 53 which, when the arm is in engagement withsaid end, engages said arm laterally and holds said deg against movementfrom the dotted to the fullline position or the cylinder 22 is a pistonor plunger 54 (see particularly Fig. 11) having a tapered forward endadapted, when the piston rod 39 is in the longitudil'lal position shownin Figures 2 and 4, to engage the dog 51 and roclr the same on saidpiston rod from the position shown i 12 full lines in Figure 3 into theposition shown in dotted lines therein. the rocking n'ioven'ient of thedog in both directions being limited by engagement of said dog with theedges of the opening thev frame portion 23. The axis of the cylinderwhen viewed in plan, is disposed at a slight angle to the piston rod shen in 4 and '11, so that when said piston rod and dog 51 are moved towardthe right, as l'iereinafter explained, the dog 51. when in the angularposition shown in full lines in Figure 3, will lie in advance of thetapered end of the plunger 54, and when said piston rod and dog aremoved toward the lett will return said plunger to the position shown inFigure 2, the relative angularity above referred to causing the said dogto move laterally out of engagement with the end of said plunger. sothat when the par assume the position shown in Figure 2 said plungerwill be again in a position to rock said dog when moved forwardly.

in the drawings the parts areshown in the r normal positions, or thepositions which they assume when the throttle is closed and thelocomotive at rest. At this time, the valve 30 is in a position to closethe ports of the valve seat 18; the plunger 54. piston 40. piston rod39,and dog 51 are in their longitudinal position farthest toward the leftshown in Figures-2 and 4.; the dog 51 is in the angular position shownin full lines in l 'qjure 3; and the arm 46 is held by the we r t 47 inits lowermost position i n engagement with the stop 49, the armconsequently also hold ng the piston 44 depi .ed. f hen the throttle isopened to start the engine. pressure from the valve chest 12 iscommunicated through the pipe 24- to the lower end of the cylinder 20,thereby raising the piston 44. and consequently rocking the shaft 41 andthe parts carried thereby into the position shown in dotted Figure 3. lvithin till lilll lines in Figure 2, this movement being limited by thestop 48. If at this time the locomotive be operating under a light load,as in moving to and from the roundhouse or about the yard, so that thereis substantially no pressure in the exhaust passages of the engine, thedog 51 will remain in the position shown in full lines in Figure 3, withthe lower end 53 thereof out of the path of movement of the arm so thatsaid arm may be oscillated without engaging said dog. When, however, aload is placed upon the locomotive, or when the locomotive is otherwiseoperating under high pressure, an exhaust pressure is built up in theexhaust passages of the engine, as will be familiar to those skilled inthe art. This pressure is communicated through the pipe 26 to thecylinder 22, causing the plunger 54 to be moved forwardly or toward theright as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the tapered end thereof rocking thedog 51 into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and bringingthe lower end 53 thereof into the path of movement of the arm 45.

If, now, the throttle be closed to permit he engine to drift, thepressure in the valve chest 12, and consequently in the lower end of thecylinder 20, will fall, permitting the weight 47, acting through the arm46, shaft 41, and arm 43, to depress the piston 44, and causing the arm45 to move from the position shown in dot and dash lines at the left inFigure 2 into the position shown in dotted lines at the right therein.During this movement the engagement of said arm with the end 53 of thedog 51 will cause said dog, and consequently the piston rod '39 and arm38 thereon, to be moved forwardly or toward the right in Figures 2 and4. At this time the shoulder 53 on the dog 51 will laterally engage thearm 45, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and will retain said dog inengagement with said arm and in the dotted line position of Figure 3after it has moved out of engagement with the end 55 of the plunger 54.The movement of the arm 38 toward the right causes the said arm, byengagement with the arm 36, to rock the shaft 35 so as to cause the arm34 to move the valve 30 into a position to uncover the ports in thevalve seat 18, thereby admitting steam from the casing 19 to theopposite ends of the engine cylinders, as above explained.

When the throttle valve is again opened, or when, from any other cause,pressure is admitted to or has built up in the valve chest 12. saidpressure is communicated through the p pe 24 to the-cylinder 20, cansingthe piston 44 to rise and the shaft 41 and parts carried thereby to bereturned to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. Thismovement causes the arm 45 to disengage the shoulder 53 on the dog 51which thereupon returns by gravity to the angular position shown in fulllines in Figure 3. As the piston 44 reaches or approaches the upperlimit of its movement, it uncovers the port with which the adjacent endof the pipe 25 communicates, admitting pressure from the lower end ofthe cylinder 20 to said pipe and thence to the outer end of the cylinder21. This pressure causes the piston 40 to move toward the left in Figure2, carrying with it the piston rod 39 and arm 38, which, through the arm36, shaft 35, and arm 34, again moves the valve 30 into the position toclose the ports in the valve seat 18. During this movement the dog 51,by engagement with the end of the plunger 54, will return the latter toits normal position, as shown in Figure 2, thereby leaving the parts ina position to be again operated in the same manner upon a rise inpressure in the valve chest accompanied by the existence of pressure inthe exhaust, as above explained. 7

Should the engine be brought to a stop after drifting, the valve 30 willremain temporarily in a position to uncover the ports in the valve seat18,-permitting steam to pass to the valve chest and cylinders. As soon,however, as this results in the building up of a pressure in. the valvechest, such pressure is admitted through the pipe 24 to the cylinder 20,causing a movement of the piston 44 in the direction to close the valve30, in the same manner as when the throttle valve is opened.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the improved valve hereindescribed is adapted to operate automatically to admit saturated steamto the engine cylinders at the proper I time and without attention onthe part of the engineer whenever a condition of pressure in the exhaustpassages of the engine is followed by a condition of low pressure in thevalve chest. By virtue of this ar rangement, the supply of saturatedsteam to the engine cylinders at the proper times is ensured, while onthe other hand all danger of accidental admission ofsteam to saidcylinders and consequent improper starting of the engine 'is avoided,since the mechanism will not operate except when a pressure has beenbuilt up in the exhaust passages of the engine, and this cannot occurwhen the engine is standing idle, or is being moved under a lightpressure about the yard, but can only occur when the engine is operatingunder a relatively high pressure, as in normal running.

hat I claim is 1. In a locomotive, the combination with a workingcylinder, of a drifting valve, means controlled by the inlet pressure tosaid cylinder for operating said valve, and means controlled by theexhaust pressure from said cylinder for operatively connecting saidvalve and operating means.

2. In a locomotive having .a Workin cylinder; a drifting valve, a rodfor operating said valve, an arm controlled by the inlet pressure tosaid cylinder for operating said rod, and a dog controlled by theexhaust pressure from said cylinder for operatively connecting anddisconnecting said arm and 3. In a drifting valve mechanism, a valve, arod for operating the same, an arm for operating said rod, and a dogcarried by said rod and movable thereon into and. out of the path ofmovement of said arm, said dog having a shoulder adapted to engage saidarm to hold said dog against movement out of the path of movement ofsaid arm when engaged thereby.

4. In a drifting valve mechanism, a valve, arod for operating the same.an arm for operating said rod, a dog carried by said rod and angularlymovable thereon into and out of the path of movement of said arm, and apressure controlled plunger having a tapered end adapted to engage saiddog and move the same on said rod. I

5. In a drifting valve mechanism, a valve, a rod for operating the same,an arm for operating said rod, a dog carried by said rod and angularlymovable thereon into and out of the path of movement of said arm, and apressure controlled plunger having a tapered end. adapted toengage saiddog and move the same on said rod, the path of movement of said plungerbeing inclined to the direction of movement of said rod.

6. In a locomotive having a Working cylinder; a drifting valve,gravity-operated means controlled by the inlet pressure to said cylinderfor operating said valve, and means controlled by the exhaust pressurefrom said cylinder foroperatively connecting said valve and operatingmeans.

-7. In a locomotive having a Working cylinder; a driftin valve forsupplying steam to said cylinder, means for opening. said *alve, meanscontrolled by the inletpressure to said cylinder for controlling saidopening means, means controlled by the 8X- ha-nst pressure from saidcylinder for operatively connecting said valve and opening means, andmeans operated by said inlet pressure and controlled by said inletpressure controlled means for closing said valve.

8. In a drifting Valve mechanism, a valve, a cylinder, a piston in saidcylinder having a piston rod operativelyconnected With said valve, ashaft, an arm on said shaft, a dog carried. by said piston rod andangularly movable thereon into and out of the path'of movement or saidarm, a pressure controlled plunger having a tapered end adapted toengage said dog and move the same on said rod, a weighted arm on saidshaft for turning the same, a third arm on said shaft, a secondcylinder, meansfor supplying pressure to said second cylinder, a conduitleading from said second cylinder to said firstnamed cylinder, and'apiston in said second cylinder controlling communication of said conduittherewith, said last-named piston cooperating With said third arm tocontrol. the movement of said shaft underthe influence of said Weightedarm.

In testimony whereof We afiiX our signatures.v

JOHN H. HANLON. WILLIAM J. HANLON.

